Chakto Program

The "Chakto" program aims to strengthen the skills of young Cambodian talents in four key areas: graphic novels, cinema, music and dance.

This program places particular emphasis on the importance of writing in the creative process, a fundamental element for the development of the Cultural and Creative Industries in Cambodia. The program aims to train a pool of professionals through targeted training adapted to local needs and sustainable development goals in the Cultural and Creative Industries.

Funded by the Fonds Équipe France Création of the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, it is supported by the French Embassy in Cambodia and the French Institute in Cambodia, in partnership with major players in the Cambodian cultural sector: Sipar and Avatar Publishing, the film production company Anti-Archive, Kongchak Studio and the Cambodian Living Arts NGO.

"Chakto" is divided into three main areas: strengthening local artistic skills, developing entrepreneurial skills in the cultural sector, and organizing a regional seminar dedicated to cultural and creative industries.

This program aims to support the Cambodian cultural scene by providing young talents with the tools they need to develop their creative projects. The final beneficiaries will be the general Cambodian public, who will be able to discover the works created during the training courses and participate in the promotion of Cambodia's cultural industries. "Chakto" is part of a long-term approach to strengthen cultural and creative ties between Cambodia and France, while highlighting the wealth and diversity of Cambodian talents.

Why the name "Chakto" ?

"Chakto", or "four" in Khmer, is a word that has great significance in Cambodian culture. It evokes the four cardinal points, the Chaktomuk theater located at the junction of four waterways, as well as the historic name of the city of Phnom Penh. Like its name, the Chakto program is positioned at the crossroads of four disciplines, making them interact and enrich each other. It reflects both the creativity of the project and highlights the Khmer language and culture.

Training is the starting point of the program. Participants, from various creative backgrounds, benefit from intensive professional workshops led by French mentors, experts in their respective fields. These sessions are designed to provide young artists with the tools they need to refine their technical skills and broaden their creative horizons. The artistic projects will be presented to the general Cambodian public through a dedicated event to allow these young creators to make their works known. This dissemination process aims to strengthen their visibility while actively participating in Cambodia’s growing cultural dynamic.

The partners

This program offers training in adapting stories into comics, in partnership with the Sipar and Avatar publishing houses, training in script writing, in collaboration with Anti-Archive, as well as a specialization in sound creation, in partnership with Kongchak studios. Finally, support for choreographic writing is also offered, in partnership with the NGO Cambodian Living Arts.

The training courses, lasting an average of 8 days, will be supervised by French mentors, experts in their respective fields, who will guide the participants in their learning and support them in the creation of their artistic projects.

Selecting the participants

Young Cambodian creators are selected via calls for applications published online on the website and social networks of the French Institute and partners. Beneficiaries must be of Cambodian nationality and be able to demonstrate experience and an artistic project to defend in their field. The 60 selected candidates (15 participants per course) will thus have the opportunity to participate in intensive workshops led by French mentors, who will bring an international perspective and advanced skills in each course.

The French mentors

Graphic novel: Simon Hureau & Jean Louis Tripp
Cinema : Anna Ciennik, Geoffroy Grison & Wim Vanacker
Sound & Music: Jean-Charles Bastion for "From Music to Image"; Amaury Crétois for "Audio Storytelling"; Anne Paceo & Dorothée Hannequin for "Song Creation".
Dance: Fouad Boussouf & Emmanuèle Phuon